Pippin Tony Winner Diane Paulus Named One of TIME's 100 Most Influential People

We already knew that Diane Paulus is one of the most talented, ambitious and visionary directors in all of theater, but it's nice to know the rest of the world thinks so, too! TIME magazine has included the Tony-winning director of Pippin on its "Time 100: The World's Most Influential People" list, which includes 100 "people who most affect our world."

Five-time Tony winner Audra McDonald penned the magazine's tribute to Paulus and described her Porgy and Bess director as "passionate about everything." "So many people think they know [Pippin], but she made it refreshingly new by staging it in a circus atmosphere. It comes from her sense of play—nothing is sacred and everything is sacred. I can’t wait to see what she does next," writes McDonald.

Last year Paulus won the Tony Award for Best Direction of a Musical for her circus-themed staging of Stephen Schwartz and Roger O. Hirson's Pippin. The revival received 10 Tony Award nominations and earned three other top prizes: Best Revival of a Musical, Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Musical for Andrea Martin, and Best Performance by a Lead Actress in a Musical for Patina Miller.

As previously reported, Pippin will launch a U.S. national tour in September 2014, at the Buell Theatre in Denver, Colorado. TIME's list of its 100 most influential people will be in its May 1 issue, which appears on newsstands on April 25.